Stocking tension device



June 27, 1939. B. sHlFLET 2,164,180

STOCKING TENSION DEVICE Filed March 17, 1959 HERBERT BRYAN SHIFLET 3nne'utor Gttorncg Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE Application March 17,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a tension device for full fashioned hosiery machines and more especially to a device which is adapted to apply tension to the welt of a stocking while the foot por- 5 tion is being knitted thereto. In conventional devices of this type, hook arrangements are used which penetrate the heel gussets, and the intermediate foot portions of the stocking to apply the necessary tension during the knitting of the foot. A typical disclosure of this type of tension device is shown in Patent No. 1,763,280 of June 10, 1930.

This type of hook arrangement has proven objectionable, especially where it is necessary for the hooks to penetrate a sheer portion of the stocking. As a general rule the heel gussets are made of substantial material, and consequently, the penetration of these portions by the hooks does not injure the fabric. On the other hand the intermediate portion of the stocking between the heel gussets is usually made of sheer material and when these portions are penetrated by the hooks and tension is applied thereto there is a tendency to distort the loops as well as to create pull stitches in the stocking, which if done, will produce a defective stocking.

Also, it is the practice to moisten the intermediate or sheer portion of the stocking where the same is penetrated by the hooks to increase the strength of the fabric at this point. Since the pull is concentrated at the point where the hooks penetrate the hose and since this point is so close to the knitting point, it naturally follows that the surrounding loops are distorted. These distortions must be corrected before the stocking is dried; otherwise, they will remain and be noticeable after the stocking has been finished.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a tension device which is adapted to operate upon the welt of the hose while the foot is being knitted thereon. By providing tension in the welt of the hose, the distance to the knitting edge is great enough to allow the stresses produced by the tension device to become equally distributed over the entire width of the stocking at the knitting edge; consequently no distortion of the loops will result.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tension apparatus of the class described which is capable of automatically disengaging itself from the welt upon the completion of the stocking and which also has means associated therewith for varying the point at which this disengagement will take place.

Some of the objects of the invention having 1939, Serial No. 262,457 I been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a full fashioned hosiery machine showing the improved tension device associated therewith;

Figure 2 is an elevation of a portion of the tension device;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line ;i -3 in Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the numeral Iii denotes a conventional knitting head of a full-fashioned hosiery machine which has associated therewith table ll, tension roller I2, control rod [4, and guard rod l5. It is common practice in full-fashioned hosiery manufacture to knit the leg portion of a stocking on one machine and then transfer it to another machine for knitting the foot. In the present instance, a leg'portion I6 is shown having a welt: I! integral therewith which welt projects over the guard rod l5 and hangs downwardly. The other end of the leg portion l6 of the stocking is secured in the knitting head I0 where the foot portion is being knitted thereon.

It will be noted that the secured end has suitable heel gussets 20 extending from each side thereof which are engaged by hooks 2|, said hooks being supported by a transverse bar 22. The center of this bar has a strap 23 connected thereto and the other end of the strap is secured to tension roller l2. Suitable springs 24 are disposed intermediate the ends of the strap 23 to furnish the necessary resiliency. This type of tension device is old but it has often been used, not only for applying tension to the heel gussets, but also for applying tension to the intermediate portions of the stocking between these gussets.

As heretofore stated, this intermediate portion of a hose is usually made of a sheer material and consequently much care has to be exercised when hooks were used to penetrate this portion for applying tension. By using the tension device disclosed in this application the hooks, heretofore used on the intermediate portion of the stocking between the hooks 20, are eliminated. Instead, a weight 21 having a hook 28 extending from one face thereof is used. This hook penerates the welt ll of the stocking, and it is seen that the distance between this weight and the knitting edge is sufiicient to allow the stresses in the hose produced by this weight to be properly distributed over the entire width of the stocking at the knitting point; consequently, there will be no distorted loops resulting from tension upon the sheer portion of the stocking.

The weight 21 has an eye 30 extending from the periphery thereof, which eye has secured thereto a triangularly shaped link 3|, said link in turn having one end of a strap 32 secured thereto. This strap has its other end secured to guard rod l5 as at 33. The weight 21 is first attached to the welt of the hose as shown in bold line position in Figure 1. In this position, the point of hook 28 will normally point downwardly due to its eccentric location on the weight. Eyelet 30 is disposed approximately 135 degrees around the periphery of the weight from this hook. When the stocking foot has become fully knitted the welt of the stocking will assume dotted line position at which time the weight will be rotated slightly in a counterclockwise manner about the lowermost extremity of link 3| to cause the hook portion to point slightly upwardly. Of course, it is to be understood that the length of the strap 32 is such that upon the completion of the foot that the weight 21 will have been allowed to rotate to this position. In the dotted line position of Figure 1, the stocking has reached almost the point of disengagement, and at this time it is seen that the point of the hook is pointing substantially horizontally. Upon a slight farther downward movement of the welt portion of the stocking the hook 28 will point slightly upwardly; consequently, the weight of the member 21 will cause the hook to be disengaged as it continues to rotate around the suspending link 3|. In other words, the disengagement takes place when the hook 28 moves below the suspension eyelet 30.

- In order to adjust the length of the strap 32 to conform to the length of hose which is being knitted, a suitable ratchet wheel 36 has been provided on guard rod l5 which is adapted to have its teeth engaged by the free end of a spring pawl 31, said pawl being secured to end bracket 38 as at 39. A wheel 40 is provided on the end of guard rod I5 to enable one to turn this rod to the proper position and thereby vary the length of strap 32. It is, therefore, seen that I have provided a weight for applying the tension to the welts of full fashioned hosiery during the knitting thereof which is capable of becoming automatically disengaged from the welt when the stocking is completed.

In the drawing and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms have been employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, means for applying tension to the leg of a stocking while the foot portion is being knitted thereon comprising a weighted member having a hook eccentrically disposed on one surface thereof and adapted to penetrate the welt of the stocking leg, and means for automatically rotating the weighted member when a predetermined portion of the foot of the stocking has been knitted to cause the hook to become disengaged from the welt.

2. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, means for appying tension to the welt of the stocking while the foot portion is being knitted, and means for automatically relieving the tension on the welt when a predetermined portion of the foot portion of the stocking has been knitted.

3. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, means for supporting the leg of a stocking while the foot portion is being knitted thereto while allowing the welt portion of the stocking to hang downwardly, weighted means for engaging the welt portion for applying tension to the leg portion while the foot portion is being knitted, and means for automatically relieving the tension from the welt portion when a predetermined portion of the foot portion has been knitted.

4. In a flat knitting machine having means for supporting a leg portion of a stocking while the foot portion of the stocking is being knitted onto the leg portion so that the welt portion of the leg portion will hang downwardy, a weighted member having a hook eccentrically disposed thereon for engaging the welt portion to apply the proper tension to the leg portion while the foot portion is being knitted, a strap secured to the weighted member and also secured to the machine, whereby when the strap has been tautened by the downward movement of the weighted member along with the welt as knitting progresses, the weighted member will be rotated to cause its hook to be disengaged from the welt to relieve the tension on the stocking.

HERBERT BRYAN SHIFLET. 

